Workers: One-stop voting popular so far in most areas of county

Joe Morgan, foreground, supervisor for the Mount Olive one-stop voting site, looks over county district maps for local, state and national offices while a voter casts his ballot. As of Thursday afternoon more than 5,000 one-stop ballots had been cast countywide. One-stop voting will continue today and again Oct. 25-29 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Oct. 30 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the following locations: Wayne County Public Library on East Ash Street; Woodmen of the World building, 3733 U.S. 117 North, Goldsboro; and Southern Academy (the old Carver High School gym) 612 S. Breazeale Ave., Mount Olive.

MOUNT OLIVE -- Robin Ingram of Goldsboro had just gotten off one job and was heading off to start another Thursday morning, but decided to take a few minutes to vote one-stop -- something she has done for several years now.

"I like the convenience of one-stop," she said. "I started one-stop voting because of my work schedule. I have to go in at 5 a.m. and don't get off until 6 p.m."

By that time, long lines can make for an even longer day on Election Day, she said. She recalls one Election Day where she waited in line for two hours.

"I am going to call and tell my daughter to come to one-stop instead of waiting for Nov. 2," she said.

Mrs. Ingram isn't the only person that one-stop voting is popular with.

During the first six days, 5,364 people at cast ballots at the three one-stop-sites set up across the county.

One-stop voting will continue today and again Oct. 25-29 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Oct. 30 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the following locations:

On the first day of one-stop voting on Oct. 14, 1,001 people voted. Another 958 voted on Oct. 15; 847 on Oct. 18; 986 on Oct. 19.; 769 on Oct. 20; and 803 on Oct. 21.

The heaviest voting has been at the library, while the Mount Olive site has the lowest total.

Voting at the library has averaged more than 600 per day for a total of 3,662 while Mount Olive has recorded 412 and the WOW site, 1,290.

Joe Morgan, supervisor for the Mount Olive site, said he has been disappointed with the turnout since the first day. He said he does not understand why the turnout has been so low at the site.

However, he noted that it is the first time Mount Olive has hosted a one-stop site. In previous years, the site was located at the Dudley Fire Station.

Also, some people who have voted told him they were unfamiliar with the site's location and the fact that there are several buildings on campus.

The turn off of South Breazeale Avenue to the site has a large, two-sided banner about one-stop voting and is surrounded by numerous political signs.

Morgan said that when poll workers arrived one morning, the parking lot was being used by people who had come to a food pantry that is located in a nearby building.

He said he could not ask for any better facility, the school's old gym, or set up.

"I am disappointed in the American people for taking for granted what so many people have lost their lives for," he said.

When voters walk into a one-stop location they are asked for their name and address. They are issued a sheet of paper with that information and are sent to a second station where the information is verified and the ballot explained.

The voter signs the paper at a third station and then votes.

Along with voting at a one-stop site, registered voters may update their address and change information on an existing registration record and new voters may complete a voter registration form and vote. However, they can vote only at a one-stop site in the county of registration during the one-stop voting period and not on Election Day.

To register, a person must go to a one-stop voting site in their county of residence during the one-stop voting period and complete a voter registration application. They must provide proof of residency by showing identification with their current name and current address.